Samuel Brain
Samuel Arthur Brain | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Bristol, England |
| Died | February 19, 1903 (aged 52) Penarth, Wales |
| Occupation(s) | Brewery businessman, politician |
| Known for | Founder of Brain's Brewery, Mayor of Cardiff |
Samuel Arthur Brain (4 May 1850 – 19 February 1902) was a prominent brewery businessman based in Cardiff, Wales, recognized as the founder of Brain's Brewery. In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, he held positions as a JP, local government councillor, alderman, and served as Mayor of Cardiff.
Background
Born in Bristol on 4 May 1850, Brain was the son of Samuel Brain, who worked as a timber merchant, and his wife Emma, both of Welsh origin. In 1872, he married the daughter of J. Thomas, proprietor of Cardiff’s Old Brewery.
Brain's Brewery
By 1882, Brain was managing the Phoenix Brewery located on Working Street in Cardiff. Later that year, in December, with assistance from his uncle Joseph Benjamin Brain, he acquired the well-established Old Brewery on St Mary Street from his brother-in-law John G. Thomas. The enterprise expanded significantly, increasing production from 100 barrels per week supplying 11 licensed public houses to 1,000 barrels weekly and owning 80 pubs by the year 1900. In 1897, the company was incorporated as S. A. Brain & Co. Ltd with a purchase price of £350,000 for the brewery. Samuel Brain took on the roles of chairman and managing director.
Politics and public service
Prior to achieving business success, Brain served in the Glamorgan Artillery Volunteers, attaining the rank of major within the No. 11 (Barry) Company. His political career began in 1885 when he was elected as a Conservative councillor representing Cardiff’s Canton ward. Following boundary revisions in 1891, he secured election as councillor for Grangetown ward, an area known for its Radical political tendencies. As an alderman on Cardiff County Borough Council, he chaired the finance committee and was appointed Mayor of Cardiff in November 1899 for a one-year term.
Death
Samuel Brain passed away on 19 February 1903 at age 52 at his residence on Plymouth Road in Penarth. He became ill while in London on 11 February and was thought to have suffered a cerebral blood clot. His funeral took place on 23 February 1903 at St Augustine's Church, Penarth. Around 15,000 mourners lined Penarth’s streets during the procession, which included delegations from Cardiff Council, Penarth District Council, Cardiff Conservative Association, Cardiff Licensed Victuallers Association, Glamorgan County Police, Glamorgan Imperial Yeomanry, 300 members of Glamorgan Volunteer Artillery, and a Royal Field Artillery gun carriage.